Fire-escape



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1.

G. W. CLEVELAND. FIRE ESCAPE. No. 556,961. Patented M ar. 24, 1896.

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No. 556,961. Patented Mar. 24, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE lV. CLEVELAND, OF LITTLE ROCK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO RICHARD D. ST. DENNIE, OF THURSTON COUNTY, \VASHINGTON.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 556,961, dated March 24, 1896.

Application filed September 16, 1895. serial No. 56 2,73 8. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Beitknown that LGEonGE W. CLEVELAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Little Rock, in the county of Thurston and State of lVashington, have invented a new and useful Fire-Escape, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to portable fireescapes adapted to be used in connection with fixed guides attached to buildings, and has for its objects to provide an improved construction of car, a novel means for detachably connecting the car to the vertical-guides, and novel means for suspending the said car from its hoisting-cables, whereby any danger of the car jamming on its guides will be obviated. These objects I accomplish in the manner and by the means hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a building showing my improved device in position thereon ready for operation. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Figs. 3, l, and 5 are, respectively, front, side, and top plan views of the car, and Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of one of the clasps for connecting the car to the vertical fixed guides on the building.

Similar numerals of reference denote corresponding parts in the several views.

In the said drawings, the reference numeral 1 denotes a building of any number of stories in height, but two being shown in the present instance.

Attached to the building and on each side of the vertical lines of windows of the same are the vertical rods or guides 2, parallel with each other and with the building-wall. At their tops above the uppermost window they are preferably turned in and securely attached to the building, while their lower ends are fixed in the ground in any suitable manner. These guides are preferably round in cross-area, though any other contour may be used, if desired.

Attached to the building-wall above the up permost windows, and also near the bottom of the building, are fixed the pairs of brackets 3, each carrying at its outer end a grooved pulley 4t lying in a plane parallel with the building-wall. These pulleys are adapted to receive the car-lifting cables 5, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring now to Figs. 3, 4:, and 5, it will be seen that the car 6 is open at its side nearest the windows, and has passing transversely across its bottom the metallic straps 7 screwed thereto and terminating at either end in the upwardly-turned eyes 8, projecting beyond the bottom of the car, as shown. Hangers 9, formed into loops 10 at their upper ends and with hooks 11 at their lower ends, are adapted to be engaged with the eyes Sin the straps 7.

Securely mounted on the inner vertical end posts 12 of the car, near their upper and lower ends, are a series of four olasps 13 projecting horizontally from either side of the car and parallel with the building-wall. These clasps, as seen in detail in Fig. 6, consist each of a shank 14E engaged at one end with its post 1:2, and formed at its outer end into a half-socket 15, to which is hinged the other half-socket 16, the two adapted to be retained together, preferably by a screw-bolt 17 passing through the end of half-socket 16 and into the shank 14:.

The operation of my improved device will now be understood to be as follows: Upon a fire breaking out in a building provided with the necessary rods or guides, pulleys, and cables, the car, which may be located in the building or brought by the fire company, can be quickly adjusted on the rods or guides 2 by opening the sockets of the clasps 13, closing them around said rods or guides, and then securing them in their closed position by means of the screw-bolts 17, as will be readily understood. Now by attaching the ends of the cables 1, one to each loop 10 of the hangers 9, said cables, passing up over the pulleys at the top of the building and then down again around the lower pulleys, will afford ready means for raising and lowering said car and removing persons imprisoned on any of the floors of the burning building.

By employing my improved form of hangers 9 and attaching the cables 4 to the loops 10 thereof I provide for suspending the car from the center, and thus obviate any danger of the clasps 13 jamming on the rods or guides 2, as would otherwise probably occur and which would possibly oppose a fatal delay to the rescue of the endangered persons.

By affording the easily attachable and detachable connection between the car and the rods or guides 2 it will be obvious that a single car will be sufficient for a building, or when carried by the fire company will do for all the buildings in that companys patroldistrict.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is I 1. In a fire-escape, the combination with a car, means for raising and lowering the same, and vertical parallel rods or guides attached to the building-wall in proximity to the windows, of clasps carried by the car and adapted to detachably engage with said rods or guides to steady said car in its ascent and descent, substantially as described.

2. In a fire-escape, the combination with a car, means for raising and lowering the same, and vertical parallel rods or guides attached to the building-wall in proximity to the windows, of clasps carried by said'car and adapted to detachably engage with the rods or guides, the same consisting each of a shank, a fixed half-socket carried thereby, a second halfsocket hinged to the fixed half-socket, and means for retaining the two together in engagement with its vertical rod or guide, sub stantially as described.

3. In a fire-escape, the combination with a car, pulleys on the building, cables passing around said pulleys and attached to the car, and vertical parallel rods or guides attached to the building-wall in proximity to the windows, of clasps carried by said car and adapted to detachably engage with the rods or guides, the same consisting each of a shank, a fixed half-socket carried thereby, a second halfsocket hinged to the fixed half-socket, and a screw-bolt for detachably retaining the two together in engagement with its vertical rod or guide, substantially as described.

at. In a fire-escape, the combination with a car, pulleys on the building, cables passing around said pulleys, Vertical parallel rods or guides attached to the building-wall in proximity to the Windows, and clasps carried by said car and adapted to detachably engage with said rods or guides, of straps attached transversely across the bottom of the car and terminating in eyes, and hangers formed centrally into loops at their upper ends for engagement with the cables and into hooks at their lower ends for engagement with said eyes on the straps, substantially as described.

GEORGE W. CLEVELAND.

lVitnesses W. I. AGNEW, JAs. MoD. ISRAEL. 

